Water Is A Major Geopolitical Power Tool In Israel

A resource rests at the heart of one of the most aggravating issues Palestinians living in the West Bank must face every day: water.

Israeli settlers living in the West Bank can purchase unlimited amounts of water from Israel's national water authority, Mekorot. The firm digs deep wells to tap supplies of water deep below the surface, many of which are located in the West Bank.

At the same time, various Palestinians we spoke to living in the West Bank told us they get access to water about once a week, forcing them to conserve whatever water they can access by storing it in water tanks:

Simone Foxman for Business InsiderPalestinian residents of the West Bank use these tanks to fill up on water while they can, even in apartment complexes like this one.

Simone Foxman for Business InsiderWater tanks dot the rooftops of the Jelazon Refugee Camp in the West Bank.

This is not an isolated incident. According to a report by the United Nations published in March of this year (pdf), 56 springs have become the subject of disputes between Palestinians and nearby settlers. The report notes that 30 of these springs have been "taken over completely" by Israeli settlers—not the military—and Palestinians are at risk of losing access to the remaining 26 springs because of settler and patrolling activities.

Israel contests statistics that suggest it may be suppressing the flow of water to the West Bank, saying that it has doubled the amount of water it supplies to the Palestinian territories per the Oslo II agreement of 1995. Many Palestinians take issue with this claim.

No matter who is at fault here, the constant dichotomy between the water tanks in Palestinian villages and green lawns in Israeli settlements marks a sore point in the relationship between the two sides.

While giving me an impromptu tour of the district, Palestinian resident Issa Khouriya stopped to point at an Israeli settlement. "As you can see, there's no tanks. No nothing. Twenty-four hours of running water," he said, shaking his head:

Simone Foxman for Business InsiderAn Israeli settlement stands conspicuously void of water tanks.